The Shine 2.0 is a compact wind turbine for your next camping trip
As power gets more dicey, personal energy generation only gets more appealing. Shine’s compact turbine isn’t going to power your house any time soon (though the company’s co-founder told me they have plans in that direction) but it can suck up the energy required to refill a smartphone in as little as 17 minutes. Of course, what it can generate depends on wind speed. That same charge could take as long as 11 hours if there’s only a slight breeze.
That power curve, and its ability to operate at night, sets the turbine apart from solar panels. Of course, on a completely still day, the Shine as inert as a becalmed sailing ship but if the wind picks up even as little as a breeze, it gets to work making power. The turbine even automatically pivots on the included stand to face into the wind.
Shine turbine 2.0
Shine
The Shine 2.0 looks like a thin space football and has a screw-off cap that reveals a hollow compartment for the stand and tie downs. The cap then doubles as a key to unlock the blades. It all weighs just three pounds, which is impressively light considering it also houses a 50W, 12,000mAh battery. This is the second version of the turbine and updates include a USB-C port instead of USB-A, as well as app connectivity.
The company claims you can set the entire thing up in around two minutes. I watched the co-founder take the turbine from fully closed to unfurled and ready for the stand in about that long. Unfortunately, there was no wind rushing through the CES show floor so I couldn’t see it spin, but the rep was kind enough to spin it for me.
Spinning the Shine Turbine 2.0
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Possibly the most exciting part is Shine’s plan for more expansive power generation. Shine 3.0, which the company is working on now, will be a 100 to 300 watt system and grid-tied turbines are on the wish list.
Pre orders are now open for the Shine 2.0 through Indiegogo for $399 and units should begin shipping this spring.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-shine-20-is-a-compact-wind-turbine-for-your-next-camping-trip-191000940.html?src=rss
